Bad guide service

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338reddog

338reddog

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Not sure if I can post a guides name. But I went on a deer hunting trip with a guide in saskatchewan. It was with a indian guide. Booked through a broker in the USA. The trip was a total sham. We were promised to be picked up at the airport, we were promised 1/1 guided hunt, with a 95% success rate with 180 mule deer averages. The tag was supposed to be included. There were supposed to be blinds
We were not picked up at the airport, we were 2/1 guided. The guide was not able to hunt the reservation we were put on. The guide tried to get us to shoot off reservation. Were were driven through cut grain fields at 35-45 mph. We never saw a good buck much less a 180” buck. Since we were not supposed to be on this particular reservation there were no blinds or preparations. It was at the end of the hunt we found out were not able to hunt this reservation. When you raised concerns over the hunt the outfitter didn't take any steps to work out the issues. We were asked to gas up the guides truck with promises of reimbursement which never happened. The outfitter lied to the booking agent about knowledge of wrong doing. However we are offered a return trip? How do you think that would turn out.
I have been in contact with fish and game officials in Canada. Of course they do not have jurisdiction over the reservations but are watching
These people. Im sure they will be caught doing something of the reservations. I will be contacting the reservation to let them know what went on
If I can post the name of the outfitter and booking agent I will do so. No one else should be subject to guides like these
Jeff
 
338reddog said:
Not sure if I can post a guides name......The outfitter lied to the booking agent about knowledge of wrong doing....I have been in contact with fish and game officials in Canada. Of course they do not have jurisdiction over the reservations but are watching
Click to expand...
Post The Guide's Name; Post the Name and Company Name of the Outfitter Too :fire:

The crook is using the reservation laws to shield himself from what he knows is fraud. Since the Canadian authorities can't act against him, you now being "off the reservation" should post his name and your claims against him and the outfitter. IF he doesn't like it, let him come off the reservation and produce a rebuttal. All that keeping his name quiet does is to aid him in finding his next victim (imho). :thumbup:

LD
 
The outfitter name is Nakoda Runners. The owner is Randy Pooyak.
The booking agency is GHR, Global Hunting Resources
We have been offered to return, just pay the license fee, hotel and airfare, food. I believe they had their chance to make things right the first time.
We did talk to references. And also relied on the booking agent to screen the guides.
I would have loved to seem a 180” deer. However I know how hard they are to come by. I dont like trespassing or running deer down or being lied to.
Randy had his Father inlaw buy tags through the Red Pheasant reservation. He is not a registered guide on that reservation. The way it came out sounded like he purchased the tags for his own use then guided us on the reservation. Since the Res is spread out not continues he tried to get us to shoot the best deer we seen at dark and on private property according to gps.
 
338reddog said:
Not sure if I can post a guides name. But I went on a deer hunting trip with a guide in saskatchewan. It was with a indian guide. Booked through a broker in the USA. The trip was a total sham. We were promised to be picked up at the airport, we were promised 1/1 guided hunt, with a 95% success rate with 180 mule deer averages. The tag was supposed to be included. There were supposed to be blinds
We were not picked up at the airport, we were 2/1 guided. The guide was not able to hunt the reservation we were put on. The guide tried to get us to shoot off reservation. Were were driven through cut grain fields at 35-45 mph. We never saw a good buck much less a 180” buck. Since we were not supposed to be on this particular reservation there were no blinds or preparations. It was at the end of the hunt we found out were not able to hunt this reservation. When you raised concerns over the hunt the outfitter didn't take any steps to work out the issues. We were asked to gas up the guides truck with promises of reimbursement which never happened. The outfitter lied to the booking agent about knowledge of wrong doing. However we are offered a return trip? How do you think that would turn out.
I have been in contact with fish and game officials in Canada. Of course they do not have jurisdiction over the reservations but are watching
These people. Im sure they will be caught doing something of the reservations. I will be contacting the reservation to let them know what went on
If I can post the name of the outfitter and booking agent I will do so. No one else should be subject to guides like these
Jeff
Click to expand...
Did you pay with a credit card? if so, I would contact them and have the charges reversed
 
We paid with a cashier check for the original deposit. That went to the booking agent, in Colorado. Then we were asked for additional money. We sent that $1000 to Canada.
then we paid balance in cash. When we got there. The guide showed up at our hotel with 4 other guides? Then proceeded to ask us for additional money for the tag.
 
338reddog said:
We paid with a cashier check for the original deposit. That went to the booking agent, in Colorado. Then we were asked for additional money. We sent that $1000 to Canada.
then we paid balance in cash. When we got there. The guide showed up at our hotel with 4 other guides? Then proceeded to ask us for additional money for the tag.
Click to expand...

Uhmm...

You need to call Aaron at GHR and demand that he straighten this out. It’s a booking agents job to make sure stuff like this doesn’t happen.
 
I Contacted Aaron and he is aware. He had/has One of his employees working on it. There is alot of things that should have been done on GHR part and the outfitter. According to the employee he contacted the outfitter and said he needed to return our money. Thats when the “we can come back “ came into play. It shouldnt cost me another $3 grand to make things right. Im in this hunt around $8grand now.
I will say Aaron contacted himself during two issues I had. One was no one let me know my check was received and who I was hunting with.
A friend booked the hunt and I sent my money in. It was June and I had nothing to show my deposit or anything from the outfitter.
Jeff
 
Patocazador said:
Moral of the story: if you can't hunt on your own with no guide or trophy fees, don't hunt.
Click to expand...

I’ve pretty much given up on any and all guided hunts. For one thing I can’t stand hunting with a guide who knows less about hunting the target species than you do. Second I can’t stand having some dude breathing down my neck and telling me to shoot when I’m trying to shoot. Third I am finding more and more that the guided hunting world is a den of thieves and scamsters! And fourth the one and only reason I’d hire a guide is to get into primo country where I can shoot a big, quality, trophy class critter. Many of the “guides” I’ve met don’t know the difference between a trophy and a tadpole. Their measure of success is you shooting a legal buck or bull or whatever. That’s not what I pay a guide for!

That being said Aaron at GHR is the real deal. I know him and I’d be surprised if he didn’t do the right thing. Time will tell.
 
This is the first guided hunt I have been on. I either backpack or horse back into remote areas. My hunting partner is winding down as age creeps in. He wanted to kill a big Muley before he stops hunting ( he is 70 years old)
The only way a non resident can hunt Sask. is on a Indian reservation.
My hunting partner talked to Aaron today, so this is second hand. He basically said even though he advertised the hunt and accepted our payment, he was absolved of any responsibility. He reason is that Josh Godfrey of Shooting Stix Safaris Vetted the outfitter. I dont get it Josh was working for Aaron and advertised the hunt with Aaron. took our money and has no responsibility? That mentality would not work at my business.
Also I contacted lastminutehuntingand fishing.com. Nakoda Runners was advertising there, gave him a quick rundown and told him to contact the game department in Sask. about this outfitter. He sent me a email he pulled the outfitters ad and contacted the game department.
I hate this type of issue. I have never had to do something like this. Just wish people honored their word. I understand hunting does not always end successful. But the hunt should not be tainted with crap like this.
 
I don't think thats the moral. Even though I doubt I will ever go the guided route again. Some people don't have the time or experience to make a hunt successful.
I had a uncle who could not physically hunt on his own anymore. The will was still there just not the body. He used a outfitter to make his last hunts possible
 
338reddog said:
I don't think thats the moral. Even though I doubt I will ever go the guided route again. Some people don't have the time or experience to make a hunt successful.
I had a uncle who could not physically hunt on his own anymore. The will was still there just not the body. He used a outfitter to make his last hunts possible
Click to expand...
My grandfather did the same. He hunted till he was in his early 80s. He could do the hiking, but packing the game out want going to happen.
 
338reddog said:
This is the first guided hunt I have been on. I either backpack or horse back into remote areas. My hunting partner is winding down as age creeps in. He wanted to kill a big Muley before he stops hunting ( he is 70 years old)
The only way a non resident can hunt Sask. is on a Indian reservation.
My hunting partner talked to Aaron today, so this is second hand. He basically said even though he advertised the hunt and accepted our payment, he was absolved of any responsibility. He reason is that Josh Godfrey of Shooting Stix Safaris Vetted the outfitter. I dont get it Josh was working for Aaron and advertised the hunt with Aaron. took our money and has no responsibility? That mentality would not work at my business.
Also I contacted lastminutehuntingand fishing.com. Nakoda Runners was advertising there, gave him a quick rundown and told him to contact the game department in Sask. about this outfitter. He sent me a email he pulled the outfitters ad and contacted the game department.
I hate this type of issue. I have never had to do something like this. Just wish people honored their word. I understand hunting does not always end successful. But the hunt should not be tainted with crap like this.
Click to expand...

I guess I’m not overly surprised in general given the state of the hunting business nowadays but I am somewhat shocked that Aaron pulled this on you. One thing is for sure however. I’ll never use and I’ll strongly recommend to anyone to NEVER use GHR.

If anything good has come from this it’s that you’ve showed me the true character of Aaron Neilson and GHR.
 
This is a crying shame. I hope it all works out.

I've been on two guided duck hunts. One was a roaring success in Saskatoon, and the other was a complete bust at Reelfoot Lake in TN. And when I say complete bust, I mean, "Here's your money, Mr. Guide, and feel free to sleep in tomorrow. We won't be back to hunt with you a second day."
 
Like any business, there are good ones and bad ones. To condemn the whole outfitting industry because of one shuckster, isn't fair to all the honest and hard working guides out there. Like any industry tho, one needs to be aware of what's going on and watch for red flags. Not receiving any feedback on the payment would have raised a red flag for me.

He basically said even though he advertised the hunt and accepted our payment, he was absolved of any responsibility.
Click to expand...

That is BS. He took your monies so he is responsible. Taking the money means he was an agent. I'd continue to put his name out there and let others know of his shaky business practices.
 
buck460XVR said:
That is BS. He took your monies so he is responsible. Taking the money means he was an agent. I'd continue to put his name out there and let others know of his shaky business practices.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I blame the booking agent at least as much as the outfitter. If he recommends a hunt, it reflects on his reputation. Telling you its your problem after he's collected his commission is BS.
 
Patocazador said:
Moral of the story: if you can't hunt on your own with no guide or trophy fees, don't hunt.
Click to expand...
That's not true at all. There are MANY reputable guides world-wide whose reputation is everything to staying in business. The key is to not only check reviews but references - especially when spending money like the OP did. I would consider contacting whatever Canadian group licenses these guides as well to see if they can do something. After all, visiting hunters drop a LOT of money in Canada - I am sure they would not want their rep as a hunting destination tarnished.
 
Patocazador said:
Moral of the story: if you can't hunt on your own with no guide or trophy fees, don't hunt.
Click to expand...

That would eliminate Africa - no thanks.

I have hunted with a number of great, professional guide services and you simply cannot lump them in with the dishonest criminals calling themselves outfitters.
 
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The thing is we did contact references, however who knows if they are valid or not. Come to find out some of the pictures the outfitter posted were family members, which is fine. But lies are lies Did he guide them? . Dont sell us tags that your are unable to service. He was not a guide on the reservation. So the guide was not supposed to be there. He could hunt for himself. But not outfit there. Wish I knew that when we there. Plus no arrangements were made for us. It was amazing they even picked us up in the mornings. Guess they wanted tips
 
I have used seven outfitter/guides in my life. Three were very good and four were outlaws. One of the four "guided" a USFWS agent on an illegal desert bighorn sheep hunt where the agent shot 2 illegal rams in the SW US. He was sentenced to jail and paid a multi-thousand dollar fine. Before that he offered to "guide" me on an illegal mountain goat hunt. I declined.
Another tried to get me to kill a 7x7 elk in an area closed to hunting.

Of the good ones, I used 2 of them multiple times. The third one was a guide in Namibia. All in all, the good ones were real good while the bad ones were illegal and incompetent.
 
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